Safety valve for a plumbing fixture



' O. F. COUCHOT SAFETY VALVE FOR A PLUMBING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1959 Filed Sept. l5, 1957 `Pune 2, 1959 o. F. coucHoT 2,888,942

SAFETY VV.L\.|VF.` F'OR A PLUMBING FIXTURE Filed Sept. 1s. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O SAFETY VALVE FOR A PLUMBING FIXTURE Urville F. Couchot, Sidney, Ohio Application September 13, 1957, Serial No. 683,767

9 Claims. (Cl. 137-99) This invention relates to a novel safety valve of extremely simple construction which may be interposed in any position in a water supply system between a hot Water heater and a plumbing tixture supplying hot and cold water as to a bathtub or shower.

More particularly, it isa primary object of the present invention to provide a safety valve which Will prevent hot water being supplied to `a plumbing fixture unless cold water is being supplied simultaneously to the plumbing fixture in sufficient quantities so that there will be an `adequate 'amount of cold water to prevent hot water being emitted at a temperature where it could cause scaldmg.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety valve which will automatically shut off the supply of hot water should the supply of cold water be suddenly diminished to any appreciable extent, to prevent discharge of water from the plumbing tixture at a temperature which will cause scalding.

A further object of the invention is to provideV such a safety valve of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured and sold and which may be readily interposed in any convenient position between a source of hot water supply and a plumbing fixture.

Various other objects and Iadvantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational View, partly in section, showing a portion of a Water supply system equipped with the safety valve;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure l, looking toward one side of the safety valve;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the safety valve, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3 but showing the valve in an open position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the valve taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are horizontal sectional views through the valve, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 6-6 and 7 7, respectively, of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view through the valve, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 8 8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an elevational view looking toward the inner side of one section of the valve casing;

Figure l0 is an elevational view, partly in section, looking toward the inner side of the other section of the valve casing; and

Figure 11 is an elevational view looking toward one side of the valve element, shown removed from the valve casing.

Referring more specitcally to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred application and use of the improved safety valve, designated generally 14 and comprising the invention, said valve Iis shown in Figure l in `association with an otherwise conventional hot and cold water supply system wherein cold water under pressure is supplied through a conduit 15 to a faucet 16. The conduit 15 has a branch connection 17 to any conventional type of hot water heater 18. Hot water from the heater 18 is supplied through la conduit 19 to a faucet 20. The faucets 16 and 20 forma part of a conventional plumbing ixture 21 `such as is `used for supplying hot and cold water to 'a bathtub or shower through a common outlet or bib 22. As seen in Figure -1, `the safety valve 14 is interposed in the hot and cold water conduits 19 and 15, respectively, between the hot Water heater 18 and the plumbing fixture 21.

The valve 14 comprises a casing 23 formed of two sections 24 and 25 which are of substantially the same size and each of which comprises an elongated .relatively thick solid block, `as seen in Figures 3 and 4.

The section 24, which constitutes the inlet section of the valve casing 23, is provided adjacent `one end thereof with a recess 26 which opens through an inner face V2'7 of the casing section 24. A bore 28 has `an inner en-d opening through the bed of the recess 26 and an outer end which opens through the outer side of the casing section 24 and in which an end portion of the section of the hot water conduit 19, leading from the heater 118 is threadedly connected. The inner face 27 of the casing section 24 has a sloping recessed portion 29 the deep end of which opens into the recess 26 and which is disposed between `said recess 26 and a bore 30 `of the casing `section 24. The bore 30 is disposed adjacent the opposite end of the casing section 24 and extends completely through said section. An end portion of the part of the cold water supply conduit 15 which leads from the `supply source is threadedly mounted in the outer portion of the bore 30.

The outlet section 25 of the casing 23, as best illustrated in Figures 3 to 5 and l0, is provided with a recess 31 adjacent one end thereof of which opens `through an inner face 32 of the section 25. A threaded bore 33 opens through the outer side ofthe section 25 and is provided with a restricted inner end 34 which opens through the bed of the recess 31. The section 25 has a threaded bore 35 which opens voutwardly of the end thereof, disposed remote from the recess 31, and which communicates with an end of an elongated recess 36 of the section 25 and extends from the inner end of the bore 35 to adjacent the recess 31. A recess 37 of restricted depth connects a portion of the recess 31 to the adjacent end Vof the recess 36. As best seen in Figures 5 and 7, a bore 38 extends transversely through the section 25 and has a portion thereof extending through adjacent portions of the recesses 36 and 37 and which forms a curved groove 39 in a corner formed by the recess 36 and recess 37. A pin 40 extends through and is anchored in the bore 38 and has a substantially semicircular portion projecting from the groove 39 and forming a substantially semicircular bearing portion 40a which extends into the recesses 36 and 37.

An elongated bar 41 forming a valve element and which is preferably provided with rounded ends is provided in one side thereof with a groove 42 extending transversely thereacross and which is substantially semicircular in cross section. at one end thereof as seen at 43 and on the same side thereof. The groove 42 is located in closer proximity to an end portion 44 of the valve element than to the `other longer end portion 45, and which is provided with the beveled surface 43. The valve element 41 is adapted to engage in the recesses 31, 37 and 36 of the casing Patented June 2, 1959 The valve element 4l is beveled section 25 and the groove 42 thereof is sized to receive the exposed portion or projection 40a of the pin 40, as seen in Figure 3. The arc as defined by the groove 42 is substantially less than the arc as dened by the exposed portion 40a of the pin 40, as seen in Figures 3 and 4, so that the valve element 41 may rock between its positions of Figures 3 and 4 about said pin portion 40a as a fulcrum. The shorter end portion 44 extends from theV fulcrum 40a through the recess 37 into the recess 31, and the longer valve end 45 extends from the fulcrum 40a through the recess 36 to adjacent the remote end thereof, as seen in Figures 3 and 5.

The casing sections 24 and 25 are secured together by screw fastenings 46 which turnably engage bores 47 of the casing section 24 and which threadedly engage threaded bores 48 of the casingl section 25, which align with said bores 47. The bores 47 and 48 straddle the recesses of the sections 24 and 25 and secure said sections together with the faces 27 and 32 in abutting engagement with one another and so that the recesses 26 and 31 are disposed in registration with one another to provide a chamber 49 in which the valve end 44 is swingably disposed. Likewise, the recess 29 is disposed in registration with the recess 37, as best seen in Figure 6, so `that a part of the valve end 44 is accommodated in the inclined recess 29 when the valve 41 is swung to an open position, as seen in Figure 4.

One end of a section 19a of the hot water conduit threadedly engages in the bore 33 and extends therefrom to the faucet 20 and one end of a conduit section 15a of the conduit 15 threadedly engages in the bore 35. The conduit section 15a has its opposite end connected to the cold water faucet 16.

Assuming that the safety valve 14 is assembled in the hot and cold water supply to the plumbing fixture 21, as illustrated in the drawings, it will be readily apparent that if the hot water faucet 20 is open that the water under pressure will pass through the conduit 19 and bore 28 into the chamber 49. If the valve 41 is inan open position, as seen in Figure 4, water passing through the chamber 49 toward the outlet port 34 will strike the valve end 44 forcing the valve to swing clockwise about its fulcrum 40a so that the valve end 44 will swingrinto abutting engagement with the wall defining the bed of the recess 31 and surrounding the port 34 forclosing and sealing said port, to prevent the hot water from flowing past the valve 14 through the conduit portion,19a to the open faucet 20. However, if the cold water faucet 16 is also open the pressure of the water in the cold water supply conduit 15 and bore 30 impinging against the valve end 45 will swing the valve 41 to its open position of Figure 4 so that both hot and cold water may iiow to the plumbing fixture 21 and be discharged together through the outlet or bib 22. It will be noted that the cold water pressure required to open the valve 41 is less than the pressure required to maintain the valve in a closed position due to the fact that the valve end 45 is longer than the valve end 44 and the portion of the valve end 45 against which the cold water under pressure from the bore 30 impinges is disposed substantially more remote from the fulcrum 40a than the portion of the valve end 44 against which the hot water impinges. Thus, it is possible to supply a mixture from the bib 22 containing more hot water from the faucet 20 than cold water from the faucet 16. However, should the supply of cold water to the bib 22 be appreciably diminished either by closing the faucet 16 or by a sudden loss or diminishment of pressure in the cold Water conduit 15, the pressure of the hot water against the valve end 44 will return the valve 41 to a closed position as seen in Figure 3 to thus shut off the supply of hot water to the faucet 20 so that there will be no danger of scalding any one using the water from the fixture outlet 22. The beveled surface 43 Yof the valve assumes a position nearly parallel to the bed of the recess 36 when the 4 e valve 41 is in an open position to thus allow the valve to more readily assume an open position.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated 2nd may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A safety valve comprising a valve casing adapted to be -interposed in a water supply system by which hot and cold water under pressure is supplied, said valve including a casing having a hot water passage `therein adapted to be interposed in and forming a part of a hot water supply conduit of the system and a cold water passage therein adapted to be interposed in and forming a part of a cold water supply conduit of the system, said casing having an elongated chamber connecting said hot and cold water passages thereof, an elongated bar forming a valve element disposed in said chamber having a-lirst end disposed in the hot water passage and closing said passage in one position of the valve and a second end disposed in and simultaneously closing the cold water passage, fulcrum means associated with the casing and supporting said valve for rocking movement, said fulcrum means engaging the valve between said valve ends, the pressure,

of the hot water against said first end of the valve element urging said valve end to a position for closing the hot water passage and the pressure of the cold water against said second valve element end urging the valve element to rock to a position for opening the casing passages against the pressure urging the first mentioned valve end to a closed position, whereby hot water may be supplied through said valve casing only when cold` water is being supplied through the cold water passage of the valve casing.

2. A safety valve as in claim l, said fulcrum means being disposed nearer the first valve element end than.

said second valve element end whereby the amount of pressure in the cold water passage required to open the.

valve element is less than the amount of pressure in the hot water passage required to maintain the valve element in a closed position.

3. A safety valve as in claim 1, said valve element ends being disposed in said casing passages relative to the direction of ow of water therethrough such that the valve element is urged to a closed position for shutting off both passages by a flow of hot water through the hot water passage and is urged to an open position for opening both casing passages by a flow of cold water through the cold water casing passage.

4. A safety valve as in claim 3, the portion of said second valve end closing the cold water casing passage being disposed more remote from said fulcrum means than the portion of the first mentioned valve element end which closes said hot water passage of the casing.

5. A safety valve as in claim 4, said hot water casing passage being straight from end-to-end thereof and thecold water casing passage having inlet and outlet ends forming a right angle with one another, said second valve, element end being disposed between said inlet and outletV ends of the second casing passage in a closed position of the valve element, said second valve element end being swingable to an open position away from the inlet end of the second passage and across the outlet end thereof.

6. A safety valve as in claim 1, said elongated charn.

ber including end portions forming parts of said passages,

projection for swingably ymounting the valve element in the casing member, the length of the arc of said groovek being less than the length of the arc of said projection.

. 7. A safety valve as in claim 6, said projection extend` ing 1nto a restricted portion of said chamber, said 're-A stricted chamber portion including an inclined wall disposed opposite the projection for receiving a portion of the valve element when said valve element is in an open position, said valve element closing said restricted chamber portion when the valve element is in a closed position to prevent a ow of water from an inlet end of the hot Water casing passage to an outlet end of the second cold water casing passage.

8. A safety valve as in claim 1, said casing being formed of detachably connected sections having adjacent faces provided with recesses forming said elongated chamber and having bores opening into and combining with end portions of the chamber to form said casing passages.

9. A safety valve as in claim 8, said fulcrurn means comprising a projecting part of one of the casing sections,

said projecting part extending into a portion of the chamber and being disposed crosswise of the casing and being convex in cross section, and said valve element having a transverse groove of arcuate cross section turnably engaging said projecting part for swingably mounting the valve element in the casing chamber, the arcuate length of the groove being less than the arcuate length of the projecting part.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

